Chapter 66 Dinner Heat

• ELARA
• I woke up the next morning feeling different after everything I had shared with Mateo the night before. My body still remembered his warmth and the way he had held me close even after hearing all my dark secrets. We spent the day quietly together but when evening came I felt hungry in more ways than one. Mateo suggested we eat in the big dining room instead of our bedroom. I agreed because I wanted to see him sitting across from me like a normal couple even though nothing about us was normal. The long table was set beautifully with candles and good food. Servants moved around quietly bringing dishes and pouring wine. I sat at one end and Mateo sat at the other but our eyes kept meeting across the table with heat that had nothing to do with the warm food.
• We started eating slowly. The meat was tender and the wine tasted rich. For a while we talked about small things like the rain that had finally stopped and plans for the garden. But under the table my foot brushed against his leg and I saw his eyes darken.